not touch with a barge pole
(Redirected from not touch something with a barge pole)
English[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Probably derived from the barge poles that bargemen used to fend off wharfs and other boats.
Pronunciation[edit]
Audio (AU) (file)
Verb[edit]
not touch (something) with a barge pole
- (idiomatic, UK) To avoid something at all costs; to refuse to associate with something; (signifies a strong aversion).
Usage notes[edit]
This expression is almost exclusively used in the negative.
Translations[edit]
not touch with a ten-foot pole — see not touch with a ten-foot pole